Nils Nilsson Skum

Nils Nilsson Skum (born April 13, 1872 between Kautokeino and Gällivare , † December 27, 1951 in Sijsjkasvare near Gällivare) was one of the most famous Sami artists of the twentieth century.

life and work

Nils Nilsson Skum's parents, Nils Thomas Skum and Margareta Nilsdotter, were nomadic reindeer keepers and breeders. He was born on a hike between Kautokeino and Gällivare. As an artist, Nils Nilsson Skum was self-taught . He mainly worked with pencil and pastel chalk , his main motifs being reindeer herding and the nature of the mountains . Typical of Skum was the extremely detailed reproduction of the tiny motifs in his pictures. The entire herd of reindeer literally “flows” over the landscape like ants, followed by reindeer sleighs. Only in the magnifying glass can you clearly see every single reindeer and the seeds at their kåta(here tent). Skum also worked with the traditional handicrafts of the Sami, such as sculptures and the nicely decorated Sami knives.

During the 1930s he settled in Sjisjkasvare near Gällivare after his reindeer herd had been severely decimated by a famine. There he set up his studio and got electricity from his own wind power plant . In 1937 he exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris and thus gained wide recognition. Skum also wrote two books that have been published, Sáme siida - samebyn , 1938 and Valla renar , 1955 (posthumously).

Nils Nilsson Skum left behind over 3000 drawings, most of which are now kept in the Nordic Museum in Stockholm and in the municipality of Gällivare.

Web links

• Nordiska museet : More about Nils Nilsson Skum